The United Federation of Teachers - A Union of Professionals

Bank’s toll-free numbers for retirees caught in check snafu

The Bank of New York Mellon is now assuring the union that retirees’ accounts will be corrected no later than Monday. It has agreed to reimburse the retirees for any costs they incur because of the bank’s error. The Bank of New York Mellon has set up two toll-fee hotlines for retirees with questions: 1-800-627-8000 and 1-800-242-9100.

Photos: 12th annual UFT Parent Conference

Bank error to blame for withdrawn pension payments

Some 53,000 UFT retirees who rely on electronic pension payments had funds involuntarily withdrawn from their accounts on Nov. 6, causing all sorts of grief for those counting on the money. The Bank of New York Mellon, which is the transferring agent for the funds, erroneously reversed the October benefits payments to retirees paid through electronic fund transfer. “We’re outraged. This is unacceptable,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “We have been on top of this since the calls first started coming in early Friday morning and we will continue to work until all of our members have been made whole. Our first priority is to get all of the money back into our members’ accounts.”

UFT NEWS

Mulgrew stresses the need to work together on education reform panel

UFT President Michael Mulgrew spoke at a forum on Nov. 4 at Hunter College on the theme, “Accountability and Reform in New York City Public Schools.” He emphasized that the union is willing to work with anyone who can make the life of a child better and said that charter schools and public school educators can learn from each other.

UFT parent conference strengthens home-school partnership

At the 12th annual UFT Parent Conference on Oct. 31, some 3,000 parents eagerly soaked up information and ideas about how to help their children in school — and signed up in record numbers to advocate in the political arena for adequate education funding. The parents’ conference is the union’s way of acknowledging the vital role that parents play both in the lives of individual students and as allies in the fight to improve public education.

UFT honors its own at Teacher Union Day

A sense of continuity and pride pervaded the UFT’s annual Teacher Union Day on Nov.1 as more than 1,200 union activists – including members present at the union’s founding – celebrated the UFT’s nearly 50 years of struggle for teachers’ dignity and students’ rights.